Map Man

[Andrew G]

Whilst waiting for a plumber to weave his magic this morning (it must have been magic the price he charged) I saw a programme called "Map Man" on UKTV History.

If you have this channel keep an eye out for a repeat (think it was originally on BBC2).

A chap called Nicholas Crane looks at the Bartholamew map which was the original cyclists map. He does this by riding an old sit up and beg bike of the period complete with rod brakes over the Lake District in the poaring rain. This man is a nutter and a typical English eccentric (he has a full size gentleman's umbrella tied to the top tube during the ride even though there is clearly no way he'll be able to use it) so makes for quite entertaining viewing. Only 30mins long.

[Andrew G]

Oops channel is UKTV Documentary, repeated tonight at 11pm.

[Amy]

Saw this when it was on BBC2 - and have been watching the new series with Nick Crane on Great British Journeys.

A few years ago I was down at my cousins in Hungerford when I managed to pick up "Bacon's county map and guide to Surrey for cyclists and tourists"! Huw has it at the mo but I can get it back and bring it along to the club room if anyone is interested. The descriptions of places in Surrey are wonderful in the guide and the map has 'dangerous hills' marked!

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]Saw this when it was on BBC2

[Andrew G]

He came over as a tad eccentric but I never knew he'd done all this stuff, I'll have to have a nose around the book shops.

[Grahame]

He used to travel with his cousin. They were serious weight weenies - they used to cut the handles off their toothbrushes and drill holes in the handles of their spoons to save weight in their luggage.

I have a copy of "Bicycles Up Kilimanjaro" if anybody wants to borrow it.

[Jon H]

On the trip to Mongolia they rode Raleigh race bikes and took the front mechs off to save weight. Shifting onto the small chainring was done with a kick of the heel, and changing up was by hand when stopped.

[Amy]

I had to laugh when I read this! I hadn't watched the episode at the time but I had to laugh again when I did

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/tv/2007/08/ ... ish_j.html

[Andrew G]

Great spot Amy.

He has a way with words:

""It's absolutely fantastic," he says, sliding, like a suppository, into the tight orifice on the hillside."

[Amy]

It's repeated Thursday 7pm. It's all there - the mad charging downhill and pacing up and down in the pub afterwards!